The Respite (REVISED)
by magensby
Summary: Margie and Jethro have some 'alone' time while the twins are away with their grandparents. Just how will they make the best use of this time?
1. Chapter 1

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **The Respite**

 **Chapter 1 Family**

Where did the time go so fast? Can you believe that Richard and Nicole are now five years old? They will start first grade in a month and so Mom and Dad plan to take them on that European trip that they talked about when the twins were only a year old. Jethro and I insisted that they wait until the twins were a little older and so now is the time. My mother and father are already in their **seventies** and I don't want them to wait much longer to take our two little 'darlings' to traipse around Europe. These two little ones can be a handful. Of course we're not sending them overseas without some extra help. Lydia's granddaughter, Nancy, is a college student studying to be a nurse so we will send her with my mom and dad so that she can help with the twins. She will share a room with the twins and help care for them. So for her it's an all expenses paid vacation to Europe with a little babysitting in the mix.

Richard and Nicole are so excited about the trip. They have seen videos about the cities that they will visit and have so many questions. We answer them as best we can and then just finally tell them to wait until they visit the cities and they can answer their own questions. For being only five years old they ask some really thought provoking questions. They will be gone for two weeks. Jethro and I didn't think that it would be fair to my parents to have to put up with the twins for more than that amount of time. My parents will probably need a vacation to recover from this vacation with the twins. When I say a trip to Europe it's really only a trip to London and Paris. They will spend a week in each city but will have day trips out of the two central cities to other nearby towns. For example while in London they will venture out to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare and Oxford; and while in Paris they will venture out to Versailles. They are all packed and leave in two days. Mom and Dad will come tonight to have dinner with us and then take the twins back to their home with them. They will leave for the trip from my parents' home. We still haven't decided how often we will Skype them while they are away. We don't want them to see us on the computer and miss us and start crying but we also don't want them to miss us and not see us so we will play it by ear. My mom and dad will gauge whether to Skype or not to Skype.

Now what will Jethro and I do while the twins are away enjoying their trip? While we will miss the 'dynamic duo' we look forward to some 'alone' time. I have so many stimulating and exciting ways to fill that time. I have some new methods that I look forward to trying out on my gorgeous husband. He doesn't know what 'adventures' await him. Hopefully it all will leave a smile of bliss on his face. I know that it will for me.


	2. Chapter 2 Not Letting Go

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **The Respite**

 **Chapter 2 Not Letting Go**

That noise that's coming from Jethro's truck has proven quite a distraction. When we went to the cabin last weekend it sounded like it was on its death march. Finally he will take it to the shop today. I'll follow him in and then take him to work. It's my day to work from home so my schedule is a bit more flexible than his and plus he's in the middle of reviews and has a deadline that he needs to meet.

We talked with my parents and the twins last night and they are now in London. They finished their week in Paris with a dinner with Tony and Tali. Everyone seemed to have had a grand time. Jethro and I sent presents for Tali with my mom because we knew that they planned to meet up with Tony while they were there. The children loved the picnic in the park near the Eiffel Tower. Dad sent us a video that he made. Nancy took a video of mom, dad and twins with the Eiffel Tower in the background and its one of my favorites.

After dropping off the truck Jethro and I proceed to his job where I leave him after reminding him that I will pick him up here at 6:00 p.m. They should have his truck ready by then and we will pick it up and head home. We both knew that we would not have our regular lunch date today so we lingered in our goodbye kiss. We parted and I returned home.

At 4:30 I check with Jethro on his progress at work and he says that things have progressed better than he expected and he will meet me downstairs in front of the building at 6 p.m. With that in mind I finish up with my conference call and pack up my things to leave home and meet Jethro. It takes about an hour and I don't want to arrive late. I don't plan to park so I pull up in front of the building but I don't see Jethro. They don't allow parking in front of the building and I can't idle there for more than five minutes. Five minutes pass and I call Jethro's phone but get no answer. I find a parking space and go inside. I make it through security and a staff person accompanies me to Jethro's office. I ask his secretary if he's in his office and she said that he left about thirty minutes ago to meet me downstairs.

That's odd. How did I miss seeing him if he was already downstairs? Maybe he stopped by to speak with his old team so I asked the staff person to go with me to his old office space. I approach and see McGee at Jethro's old desk. He sees me and smiles and asks what brought me to the office today. I tell him that I was meeting Jethro but can't seem to find him. McGee says that he has not seen Jethro today. Just as I try to call Jethro's phone again into the area walks Director Vance. He has a frown on his face and his brow is wrinkled with concern.

" _Hello Mrs. Gibbs. Agent McGee have you seen Jethro?"_

" _No Director I have not seen him today. Is there a problem?"_

" _Yes, I believe that there is. Will you and Mrs. Gibbs come to my office?"_

Now I am worried. Where is my husband? I follow Director Vance and Agent McGee to the his office and he asks us to sit at the table. We sit and he starts to tell us of his concern.

" _I just received a call from the son of Dr. Samantha Ryan, the psychologist who worked with us on the Dearing case. Her son is away at college and received a call from his mother saying that she's going to get his father. The young man's father died five years ago so he was immediately concerned when he heard his mother say what she did. He said that he reminded his mother that his father died years ago and she replied to him something that caused him to worry that his mother may have had a psychotic break. His mother told him that she was going to get his father, Agent Gibbs."_

At those words I look at Leon like I could kill everyone in this room. He sees my look and immediately says that they will find Jethro. I tell Leon that I spoke with Jethro at 4:30 today and his secretary said that he left his office thirty minutes ago so she had to have been on campus for her to get to him within this past hour. Just as I prepare to leave to search for my husband alone my phone buzzes and immediately I know that it is Jethro. This is my private phone only to be accessed in emergencies. I tap the connect button and hear talking. I signal for Leon and McGee to not talk. I put the call on speaker.

" _Dr. Ryan why do you have me here tied up and in this abandoned warehouse? What do you want?"_

At that moment I check the screen and see the coordinates for his location. The phone displays the longitude and latitude for his location. I place the screen so that both Leon and McGee can see and they quietly go to work sending authorities to that location. The talking on Jethro's end continues.

" _I want you Jethro. Why didn't you marry me? We were good together. I know that I had to leave because my ex-husband was released but you said that you would never marry again. Imagine my surprise when I return and you're married. Who is she anyway? She's a nobody according to my research. So what she works for the CIA. She's only an Analyst making less that $100,000 a year. I'm a doctor. I can offer you so much more."_

" _Why are you doing this now Dr. Ryan? The last time that we saw each other you told me that you were happy for me."_

" _I said that because I thought that your marriage wouldn't last just like the other ones. I could wait for you to divorce her and then we could be together but you haven't divorced her and you have children with her. I don't care about her or the kids I just want you. I can give you so much more than she can. I can love you."_

" _I don't know what you want me to say Dr. Ryan."_

" _Say that you will come away with me. We can be a family, you, my son and me. He liked you when were seeing each other."_

" _I have a family Dr. Ryan."_

" _Don't say that. I don't want to hear you talk about her or those children. They don't matter anymore."_

" _You don't need the gun Dr. Ryan. Put it away before someone gets hurt. You're a doctor remember,_ _ **DO NO HARM."**_

" _I won't hurt you Jethro, I love you but I will use this gun if I have to. If you don't come with me I will use it."_

" _But what good will I be to you if you shoot me?"_

" _I may not shoot you to kill you but I will hurt you if you don't do what I tell you to. You belong to me now. You are mine and no one else can have you. You will be my son's father. I told him that I was going to get his father. He told me that his father died five years ago but I told him that I was going to get you, his father. You will be his new father."_

We make it to the warehouse and quietly approach the area where Dr. Ryan holds Jethro captive. That's my man. He's kept her talking allowing us time to reach him. Oh how I love this man. Although I refrain from taking the lead on the rescue I need to stay in the background because if I get anywhere near Dr. Ryan the end result will not be pretty.

The FBI sniper is in position and McGee and the FBI agent advance. They give the signal for the sniper to shoot to disarm but not to kill Dr. Ryan. The sniper takes aim and she falls to the ground and the gun scatters away from her body. Officers rush in and subdue her and release Jethro from his bindings. They escort Dr. Ryan to a waiting ambulance where they treat her shoulder wound and then cart her away for arrest and a psychiatric exam. She won't see the light of day for a very long time.

McGee rushes to Jethro and checks if he's all right. Jethro starts to reply and then he sees me. I walk to him and envelope him in my arms. I don't say anything and he doesn't say anything we simply just hold each other. I break the silence and say,

" _We need to get you checked out. I know that she must have drugged you to get you here so we need to have you checked out at a hospital. I could tell by your slow speech that something was off with you but I am so glad that you remembered the emergency switch on the phone. We'll talk after they clear you at the hospital."_

McGee and I walk with him to the waiting ambulance and I go in the ambulance with him to the hospital and McGee follows in this car. They clear him at the hospital and McGee drive us back to NCIS so that I can pick up my car. I thank McGee for all of this help and he says that he will always be there to help Gibbs whenever he can.

We make it home and I convince Jethro to just take a bath and go to bed. We can talk later. He takes a shower but he will not go to bed until he talks to me.

" _I know that you heard us talking. I'm sorry that this happened. I did not give her any reason to think that there was a future for her with me. Even when she and I were together she knew that I did not want to marry. You are the only one who has made me what to marry again. You are it for me Margie. I don't want anyone else."_

" _Jethro I believe that you did not encourage her and I am sorry that this happened to you. Do you remember when we met her at the seminar? I told you that she would come after you. I thought that it would have happened sooner than now but I was right that she felt entitled to be in your life."_

" _I know and I do remember that you said that. I know that it's not my fault that she did this but I'm still sorry that this happened."_

" _Ace, you're the one who suffered the most from this. I don't blame you so don't blame yourself. I love you and nothing will change that. Do you want something to eat or do you just want to go to sleep?"_

" _No, I'm not hungry but I'm not ready for sleep. I just want you here with me."_

" _Okay let me shower and then I'm all yours."_

I shower and put on my pajamas and all the while thanking God for rescuing Jethro. I make it to the bed and Jethro is fast asleep. I snuggle up behind him and fall fast asleep. Another day in the life of Jethro and Margie. The twins return this weekend and we'll be back to the craziness of having the two 'whirlwinds' back at home and we wouldn't have it any other way.


	3. Chapter 3 Recovery

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **The Respite**

 **Chapter 3 Recovery**

The next day an FBI agent interviews me about the kidnapping. I tell them that Dr. Ryan attacked me at the Naval Yard with some kind of drug because one moment I was standing near my truck and then the next I was in the warehouse. The FBI agent said that the hospital identified the drug used. The rush of adrenalin cleansed it from my system. They don't think that she had a psychotic break because based upon the conversation captured by Margie's phone, Dr. Ryan was quite lucid and even remembered our conversation from over five years ago. In that she said that she waited for me to get a divorce indicates premeditation. They are confident that she won't be allowed to get away with an insanity plea. Of course they had to confiscate Margie's phone. That's the second time that she's had to give up her phone on a case. It's a good thing that she had it though. Her special phone will help in prosecuting another felon.

Margie was right that Dr. Ryan would research her and even more so that she would not find anything. Margie hasn't been 'just an analyst' for over thirty years and what she earns is classified information.

Margie had to bring me to work today too even though this is her day to go to the office. I just came in earlier so that she wouldn't arrive late at her office. She will meet me here at 6:00 p.m. so that I can pick up my truck from the shop. I did manage to finish the reviews so I don't have to worry anymore about that. I do have a conference call before I leave today so I need to prepare my notes for that.

Another day at the office done and I am anxious to get home. The twins will return in a few days and our time alone will end. Except for the crazy episode with Dr. Ryan, Margie and I have had a really great time together. We've decided that we have to do this more often. Perhaps on those weekends that the twins are with their grandparents we can escape to the cabin again. We both like roughing it. It surprised me that someone as refined at Margie would like that 'back to nature' scene but she reminded me that in her years of fieldwork she had to deal with conditions worse than my little cabin. We will make the most of next few days before the twins return, starting with tonight. Mrs. Gibbs has no idea what I have in store for her.

Margie meets me at my office and takes me to get my truck from the repair shop. We both leave at the same time but she makes it home before I do because I stopped to pick up something for dinner. I don't want her to cook tonight. When I enter I don't see her but I know that she's probably taking a shower. She says that when she gets home she likes to wash off the 'work dust'. I put the food on the counter in the kitchen and go to join her in the shower. I do remember to lock the front door these days. Anyway I don't want any interruptions.

She's singing in the shower when I enter the bathroom. I stand behind her and start washing her back. She stops singing when my hands move to the front of her body. By the end of the shower we are both clean and out of breath. I really like showering with Margie. It's always a satisfying event. We dress in casual clothes and go downstairs for dinner. After dinner we retreat to the sofa and cuddle. I talk to her about my idea of taking monthly weekend adventure trip. She thinks that it is a great idea and even suggested that we should return to the cabin for the first adventure trip because there were some things that she wanted to do to me that she didn't get to do when we were last there. I asked her if we had to wait for her to do them and she smiled and said that we can do them at anytime but the cabin lent a certain element to the actions. For example her taking a bucket of water and pouring it over her naked body in the moonlight works a lot better in the rustic atmosphere of the cabin than doing the same thing in our bathroom. I wholeheartedly agreed with her on that but then she moved away from me and dimmed the lights and did a strip tease that had me so hot and bothered but she didn't allow me any release because she decided to use my fingers as popsicles and then I was lost. My Margie is something else. I am a very fortunate man.


	4. Chapter 4 Back to Normal

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **The Respite**

(Revised items in **bold** and underlined)

(Changed the name of the Sterns' son from Jason to Justin. Changed the age of the McGregors to seventies instead of eighties.)

 **Chapter 4 Back to Normal**

Months later the twins are now in school and loving it. Richard and Nicole attend the same school with their friend **Justin** Sterns. We decided that Richard and Nicole should be in separate classes so that they can make their own friends and have their own individual school experiences. They still are friends with **Justin** and we still call them the 'Three Musketeers'. The Sterns even allowed **Justin** to attend language classes with the twins at our home. I'm trying to teach them Mandarin Chinese now. As a matter of fact I have an upcoming meeting in Beijing China and would love to take the twins with me but it's during school time so that won't happen. It would have given them a great opportunity to practice speaking but maybe another time.

The Gibbs family has settled into a new routine. I still work from home most days and go to the office two days a week but I have added a little more travel to the mix. Now that the twins are older I don't feel so bad leaving them with Jethro or my parents. Although I try not to leave them often it does help that I can travel more. It allows me the opportunity to stay abreast of what's happening in the intelligence world and plus I always find some out of the way, elusive fight club to learn new techniques. I always want to learn new fighting techniques. I still train in the traditional methods but it doesn't hurt to know more.

Jethro has blossomed so much as the Assistant Director. When Leon is out the office and Jethro is in charge it is such a smooth transition that everyone carries on as usual. They are so used to Jethro being there and respect him that there is no lapse in service at all when the Director is absent. Leon is very thankful that Jethro did take that job. He knows that everything will work well in his absence with Jethro there. He hasn't always had that assurance with others Assistant Directors.

My parents still take the twins for a weekend every month. Surprisingly enough my parents expressed no tiredness after their European trip with the twins. They are amazing. They still do their swimming, tennis and golf. My dad finally convinced my mother to join him in his golf outings and she loves it. I hope that I am as active as they when I'm in my **seventies**. It appears Jethro and I have good genes for having a long life. His dad lived until he was in his eighties. All of my grandparents lived until they were in their nineties. We both would like to be around when the twins finish college and start their careers but in the meantime we will do the best that we can with the time that we have.

Tonight is Friday and the twins will have a sleepover at the Sterns' house. **Justin** has asked several times for one since school started and this weekend is a long weekend for them because school is closed on Monday for a teacher in-service day. Michael and Rachel finally agreed and the twins will stay until Saturday afternoon. There's a back to school fair in the park not far from our neighborhood and **Justin** wanted the twins to go with him and his parents. I'm on my way now to drop Richard and Nicole off. I will return and prepare for my own activity for the night.

This Friday is Jethro's poker night at our house and my ladies night out. Jethro's cohorts will come to play poker and chat while I will meet my friends at a club to dance the night away. I did play poker once with Jethro and his friends. After that first time they banned me from playing again. I remember that time fondly.

" _Hey Margie, do you want to play poker with us? We can always use some new money."_

" _Tobias I'm not sure that would be a good idea. I haven't played poker in a long time."_

" _That's even better. We won't feel bad about taking your money. Come on it will be fun."_

" _If you say so Tobias. I'll play."_

We played several hands and I won them all. Tobias was not happy at all about the outcome.

" _I thought that you said that you hadn't played poker in a long time. How did you manage to win every hand?"_

" _Although I did say that I had not played in a long time at no time did I say that I didn't remember how to play. Thanks for the money Tobias and all of you."_

" _Well what do you have to say Gibbs? Did you know that she was a poker pro?"_

" _You never asked me Tobias. If you noticed that I folded on each hand. I know when to cut my losses."_

" _Well I guess you won't complain Gibbs, at least she will share her winnings with you."_

" _Why would I share my winnings with Jethro? He didn't win these hands I did. My money is my money. He doesn't share his winnings with me."_

" _My, my is that any way for a married couple to act? Isn't it share and share alike?"_

" _I'm just teasing you Tobias. Here's your money, all of you. This is just a lesson to you. Don't assume. If you want an answer to a question make sure that you ask the right question. Next time ask if someone knows how to play poker and if they play it well. I would have told you that I play it very well and seldom lose a hand. You then would have taken it as a challenge to beat me and I would have let you but the end result would have been the same. I don't usually play a game that I can't win. I don't like to lose."_

" _Well thanks for making that clear Margie. I'll remember not to play any games with you."_

" _Good night everyone, I must leave now. Enjoy the rest of your evening."_

And I never played again with them. They still come for poker night and I have the refreshments all prepared before I leave for my dance night. Tonight we will go to a latin dance club. Lydia and I have done this for years. We go for latin dance, reggae, jazz, just about anything with a beat. There are about 8 in our group ranging in age from mid-thirties to mid-sixties. We have a great time just dancing, drinking and talking. Tonight we have two new recruits, Bishop from Jethro's old team, and Evangeline, the attorney from White & Blazevitch. Each carload always has a designated driver and for my carload of Lydia, Bishop and Evangeline it is I because I don't drink alcohol. I always want to keep my wits about me. We step into the club and find a table, order drinks and sit and chat for a while. We watch the dancers on the floor and Bishop says that she doesn't know how to dance like that. We all tell her to just go out there and let the 'music move her' and she will be fine whatever she does. She said that she would try it and we continue to encourage her. Then my song, 'Vivir la Vida' by Marc Anthony starts to play and I am on the floor enjoying myself immensely. Then the DJ plays, 'Bailando' by Enrique Iglesias and I am ecstatic. Some guy comes up behind me and presses into me but we can't have that. I turn around to push him off and imagine my surprise when it's Nick Torres from Jethro's old team. When he saw my face I thought that he would faint on the spot. He's apologizing and backing up at the same time. I grab his hand and tell him everything is all right and that it was an honest mistake.

" _You have to finish the dance with me now Nick. No turning back. Just put it out of your mind and let the music move you."_

" _I don't know if I can do that Mrs. Gibbs. If it is all right with you I would rather go and find somewhere to sit down and gather my dignity. The guys will never let me live this down. Thanks for the offer though."_

He turns and leaves and I see him approach McGee and Reeves who are laughing so hard they almost fall out of their chairs. I continue to dance and another guy walks up and I dance with him. He keeps a respectable distance and everything is fine.

Bishop walks over to them and tells them to not harass Torres because he had no way to know that it was Mrs. Gibbs. She points out to them that Mrs. Gibbs is still dancing and tells them to look at her.

" _She's a beautiful woman and looking at her from the back you would not recognize her. Nick had no way of knowing that it was his boss's wife. Give him a break. He probably already feels terrible. Don't add to his grief. You're supposed to be his friends."_

" _Yeah Bishop we know, but you have to admit that it was funny. Did you see Nick's face when Mrs. Gibbs turned around and faced Nick? He looked like he would faint."_

" _Did he look any different from you McGee when you walked in on Mrs. Gibbs when she was half dressed?"_

" _I get your point Bishop. Come on Reeves let's stop bothering Torres. He feels bad enough. Let's find some dance partners."_

" _All right guys, I'll see you later, enjoy."_

Bishop walks back over to our table and by that time I have taken a breather from dancing. I asked her what did she say to McGee and Reeves and she said that she told them to stop bothering Torres and reminded McGee about walking in on me when I was not fully dressed. That was enough for McGee to stop harassing Torres. I felt a little bad for Torres but not a lot. That will teach him from pressing up on a female without invitation.

Everyone is having a good time. Sometimes we dance alone and other times men will ask us to dance. Although most of us have husbands or significant others it does no harm to dance with another man. It's only dancing and we keep a respectable distance. The food is good, the drinks are good and the music is 'jamming'. It's nearing time for us to leave when the DJ finally plays the song that gets all of my crew on the floor. We will use it as our exit song, 'Danza Kuduro' by Don Omar from the 'Fast and Furious Five' movie. We're all dancing, no partners needed, and having a great time. Before the end of the song, McGee, Reeves **and** Torres join us on the dance floor. By the end of the song we're laughing and singing along. Torres, Evangeline, Lydia and I understand the words where as the others just hum along. Nevertheless we have a great time. My group exit the club but not before saying goodbye to Reeves, Torres and McGee who remain to finish out their evening. I drop everyone off and head home.

When I arrive the house is dark. That means that my husband is asleep. I lock up and shower in the guest bathroom so that I don't wake him. I creep into the bedroom and crawl in on my side of the bed. I settle my head on my pillow when I feel Jethro roll over to snuggle up behind me. I stay still so as not to wake him but then I feel his hand moving on my stomach and know that he is awake.

" _Did you have a good time dancing?"_

" _I thought you were asleep. I'm sorry if I woke you."_

" _You didn't wake me. I was asleep but I felt you on the bed and just wanted to hold you. Go to sleep."_

" _Okay. Goodnight."_

" _Goodnight."_

He pulls me to him and I can feel his arousal. Never one to let a good 'thing' go to waste I reach back and caress him. He moans.

" _I thought that you were going to sleep Margie. You know that if you keep doing that we won't get much sleep."_

" _Sleep is overrated. I'd rather enjoy what I have my hand on now rather than some hours of sleep. Care to join me?"_

And with that we made good use of 'all that was offered' and ended up sated and satisfied. We then slept peacefully through the night.


	5. Chapter 5 The Cabin

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **The Respite**

 **Chapter 5 The Cabin**

Jethro and I do make it back to the cabin. This time we need to clean it before closing it for the season. Jethro's truck is packed with cleaning supplies, rags, gloves, a footlocker full of extra blankets, pillows and towels, and rations to replenish our supply at the cabin. Taking full advantage of Richard and Nicole's weekend with my parents we decide to get in our last hurrah at the cabin. We want to complete as much cleaning as possible after work on Friday and maybe by midday Saturday we will finish. That will give us at least the rest of Saturday and half of Sunday to just relax.

Arriving at the cabin the cleaning comes first before we move the locker and rations. Dressed for the part I have on my coveralls and old sneakers with my hair covered with a bandana and plastic gloves to protect my hands. Add to that are the safety glasses to protect my eyes from all of the dust. By nightfall on Friday I feel like I have worked for days when it is only a few hours. But you have to understand that when I put my mind to something I am very thorough. Before night falls we make certain to hang the oil lanterns in the cabin and place some on tree stumps in the yard so that we have some light as we move back and forth to the truck.

Jethro digs a fresh pit latrine and nearby stores supplies of tissue, wipes, and hand sanitizer. We keep bleach in a separate canister that the kids cannot open. Our make shift shower consists of a tin tub to hold water and a bucket to scoop the water. If we want hot water we heat it in a kettle on the fire pit in the yard. We usually only have hot water when the children come with us. Neither Jethro nor I really need it. On many an assignment we've found ourselves in the wild and have had to make do without hot water. Although I've had more occasions to do without than Jethro he can still hold his own in the cold water. It does allow for me to get a good 'peek' though and I would not trade that for anything, if you know what I mean.

Since working non-stop allows us to finish ahead of time we manage to clean and unload the car before it grows too dark. Jethro is still in the yard gathering the wood that he chopped while I prepare for my bath. Making my way out to the yard with my soap and cloth I pass Jethro as he brings some wood inside to add to the fire in the fireplace.

I have my tin tub full of water that I had collected earlier from the creek. Standing on my bath mat made of tree leaves I slowly unsnap my coveralls. Unbeknownst to Jethro underneath my coveralls I wear a red push up bra and red lace panties. Facing the cabin, on the look out for Jethro, I begin to pull down the straps of my bra and allow it to drop to the ground. I see him in the doorway. The lamps allow enough light that you have a great view of what I am doing. As he stands in the doorway I turn around and slowly peel my panties over my butt and then bend over to push them down past my knees to step out of them. Before I can stand up Jethro is behind me and gently pushes my back down so that I am bent over and he is in me. The sensation is delicious. He starts slowly and soon he is slamming into me and I think that I will topple over but he supports me by my waist so that I don't fall over. It did help that my little strip tease took place next to another tree stump so that I am able to balance myself by holding onto it while my husband drives me into a frenzy. After what seems like hours the ecstasy of our union wanes and he leans on my back trying to catch his breath. I wiggle my bottom and he slips out of me. He is still fully dressed and I am standing here totally naked. Placing a kiss on my neck and back he moves back to allow me to complete my bath. With soap and cloth I lather my body and once all lathered I take the bucket of water and raise it over my head and pour in on me. The impact of the cold water on my skin causes chill bumps to rise and my nipples to harden like grapes. I continue dousing myself with the water until I have rinsed off all of the soap. All while I'm doing this I am staring at Jethro with a smile on my face. Then I say to him,

" _Now does this scene of me pouring water on myself in the moonlight work a lot better here at the cabin than back in our bathroom at home?"_

" _Yes it certainly does Margie but you do know what this is doing to me. I too need to take a bath. Will you assist me?"_

" _If I assist you my love you won't get much washing done. But if you want me to help you I will."_

" _I'll take whatever you have to offer Margie and I see that you have a great deal to offer."_

" _And it's all yours my love, all yours."_

We're both naked now and fully bathed. Wrapping up in the towels hanging from the tree limbs we extinguish the outside lamps as we make our way back to the cabin. The fire has warmed the cabin and we put on our pajamas and lie on our cot and call it a night. We needed this **respite**. Tomorrow is another day but we know that together we can handle it.


End file.
